Drinking fountain adaptor for attachment to a water tap or faucet



Aug. 15, 1961 v G. ELVES ET AL 2,996,257

DRINKING FOUNTAIN ADAPTOR FOR ATTACHMENT TO A WATER TAP OR FAUCET FiledFeb. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IEVENTORS VI CTO R ELVBS ROBERT Md. ELVESWM r ATTORNEY S Aug. 15, 1961 v. e. ELVES E L 5, 7

DRINKING FOUNTAIN ADAPTOR FOR ATTACHMENT TO A WATER TAP OR FAUCET FiledFeb. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR9 VICTOR G, ELVES R BERT Md.ELVES mhvdw ATTORNEY 5 United tates 2,996,257 DRINKING FOUNTAIN ADAPTORFOR ATTACH- MENT TO A WATER TAP R FAUCET Victor George Elves, 12 OvertonCourt, Green Point, and Robert William John Elves, 6 Ferndale,Blackheath Road, Three Anchor Bay, both of Cape Town, Cape Province,Union of South Africa Filed Feb. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 11,189 Claimspriority, application Union of South Africa June 3, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl.23925) This invention relates to a drinking fountain adaptor arrangedfor attachment to the spout of a water tap or faucet, to enable a personto drink water therefrom without the necessity of providing a cap, glassor other receptacle, or using a hand as a receptacle.

According to the invention, the device is a tubular fitting adapted, asregards its top end to be fitted snugly over the spout of a tap orfaucet, and as regards the opposite end, arranged to be temporarilyclosed by a finger or by finger pressure so as to divert at least partof the flow of water passing through the device, through a jet passagecommunicating with the bore of the fitting. Preferably at least the topend, which is adapted to be fitted on to the spout of the tap or faucet,is made of rubber or other resilient material so that said end will beretained in position by a resilient constrictive gripping action. Thesaid jet passage preferably extends in an upwardly and outwardly slopingangle so that a person using the device can conveniently place his openmonth over the issuing jet of water in the manner employed when using adrinking fountain.

Preferably the device is moulded from rubber or a suitable resilientplastic, with the lower outlet end being made sufliciently flexible toenable it to be substantially closed by a nipping action between afinger and a thumb. To facilitate this action, small bosses orrestrictor buttons are moulded onto opposite sides of this end, and thewall thickness between these buttons is reduced to facilitate theclosing operation.

The jet passage may be provided in a protruberance moulded onto one sideof the device and can make communication with the bore thereof at apoint inwardly from its lower end. To prevent water passing up the jetpassage when water is flowing through the bore during normal use of thetap or faucet, a small deflecting lip is provided on the upstream sideof the junction of the jet passage with the bore so as to create aslight injector effect. Such deflecting lip may extend wholly orpartially round the bore so that it can serve as a base on which ascreen may be rested within the device.

To enable the invention to be more clearly understood, reference is nowmade to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, apreferred construction of the invention and a modification of suchconstruction.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on FIG- URE 1, on a planeparallel with the sheet;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on FIG- URE 3 on a planeparallel with the sheet;

FIGURE 5 is an under plan view;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing a modifiedinternal construction, and

FIGURE 7 is the corresponding under plan view.

The device illustrated in FIGURES l to 5 is made of rubber to theexternal and internal configurations shown and is adapted as regards itstop or socket end 1 to be a tight resilient fit on the spout of a tap(not shown). By nipping the sides of the bottom end together betweenfinger and thumb by means of the restrictor buttons 2, a portion of theflow of water passing through the bore 3, will be diverted up the jetpassage 4 which is provided at its junction with the bore 3, with adeflecting lip 5.

The modification introduced in FIGURES 6 and 7 consists in forming thedeflector in several portions 5a around the base which portions providea base for a screen, as aforementioned.

We claim:

1. A drinking fountain adaptor device comprising a tubular fittinghaving a bore therethrough one end of which is adapted to be fittedsnugly over a spout of a water tap or faucet, and having an outletopening in the opposite end which can be temporarily closed by fingerpressure, said fitting further having an upwardly inclined jet passagecommunicating with the bore through which at least part of the flow ofwater passing through the device is directed when said outlet opening isclosed, a small deflecting lip on said fitting projecting into said boreon the upstream side of the junction of the jet passage with the borewhich is toward one end, whereby a slight injector eflect is createdwhen said outlet opening is unclosed and water from the tap or faucet isflowing rapidly through said bore.

2. A drinking fountain adaptor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thedeflecting lip extends around substantially the entire inner peripheryof said bore to serve as a support for a screen.

3. A drinking fountain adaptor device as claimed in claim 1, in whichsaid tubular fitting has two small bosses molded on opposite sides ofthe outlet end, and the wall thickness of the tubular element extendingbetween these bosses has a reduced thickness to facilitate the closingoperation.

4. A drinking fountain adaptor device as claimed in claim 1, inwhichsaid tubular fitting is of a resilient and flexible material, wherebythe outlet end is sufliciently flexible to enable it to be substantiallyclosed by a nipping action between a finger and thumb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,372,213 Williams Mar. 22, 1921 2,171,471 Brunetti Aug. 29, 19392,392,512 Thompson Jan. 8, 1946

